By air
Cairo (CAI), ~9 h by road
Africa · Egypt
Siwa Oasis, Egypt
A remote oasis of salt lakes and springs
Getting there
Best time to visit
October to March — mild days
Don't miss
The Shali Fortress
The Temple of the Oracle
Cleopatra's Spring
The Great Sand Sea
Things to do
Cleopatra's Spring
The Great Sand Sea
The Shali fortress
Where to eat
What to pack
Layers, sun protection
A quieter corner
Floating in the salt lakes
Questions travellers ask
Is Siwa Oasis hard to get to?
It's remote: fly into Cairo (CAI), then it's about 9 hours by road.
When is Siwa Oasis at its best?
October to March, when the days are mild. Pack layers and sun protection.
What should I see in Siwa?
The Shali Fortress, the Temple of the Oracle, Cleopatra's Spring and the Great Sand Sea.
What's something special to do in Siwa Oasis?
Float in the salt lakes, then snack on dates and olives.
About Siwa Oasis
- Desert
Where it is
Siwa Oasis lies in Egypt's Western Desert, in Matrouh Governorate near the border with Libya, in a depression below sea level ringed by salt lakes, palm groves and the edge of the Great Sand Sea.
History
Siwa was famed in antiquity for the Oracle of Amun, which Alexander the Great consulted after he took Egypt, and its desert isolation kept it largely independent until it was brought under Egyptian rule in 1820. Its old hilltop fortress town, Shali, was largely abandoned after heavy rains in 1926.
People
The Siwans are an Amazigh people who speak Siwi, a Berber language, as well as Arabic, and they are known for silver jewellery and finely embroidered wedding dresses. Date palms and olive groves are the mainstay of the oasis, and the Siyaha festival each autumn brings the community together in a feast of reconciliation.
Known for
- The Shali Fortress
- The Temple of the Oracle of Amun
- Cleopatra's Spring
- Floating in the salt lakes
- Dates and olives
Did you know?
Siwa's old houses and fortress were built of kershef, blocks of salty mud from the lakes that set hard in the dry desert air but dissolve in heavy rain.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.